Device for forming plate gangs for multicolor printing



B. F. HECK 2 DEVICE FOR FORMING PLATE GANGS FOR MULTICOLOR PJRIIJTINQ May 7, 1935;

Filed June 27, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Bernard F. Heck May 7, 1935. B, 'F HECK 2,900,755

DEVICE FOR FORMING PLATE GANGS FOR MULTICOLOR PRINTING Filed June 27; 95 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 51 "41 A w Jwumtow Fig 8 49 Bernard F. Heck I Patented May 7, 1935 2.000.755 DEVICE FOR Foams PLATEGANGS "Fort v MULTIGOLOR PRINTING BernardFiHeck, St. PaiiL-M nn. I V applicationJune 27, 1932, Serial in. 619,367 1401mm. (01.113999) I -My invention relates to an improved'devicefor forming plate gang's tor multi-color'printing arid'has for an object thereof to provide a novel and effective structure for carryingout a meth- 5 ed forforming plate gangs whichconstitutes the ubject matter of ..my co-pending application, Serial No. 690,687. v w: In said niethod, 'the several plates of. the different gangs for differentcolors are successively members forcthe individual plates of-1a gang, said method involving." the attachment "of the plates of each gang inv their gauged "relation to asuitable backing while disposed upon said device 'so that the corresponding plates in the several gangs of vth'e set have. identically the same relation with respect to their companion plates 1 in their respective gangs. 7 if A'notherfobject of the invention resides. in providing a device for carrying outmymethod in'which gauge pins are adjustably positioned to bearranged in 'anydesired manner to accommodate electrotype plates anddifierentlengths. "A still further object of the invention resides jinsproviding in said device a bed and'guides mounted thereon and in providing 'anumber ibffslipports movable along said guides and carryin'g.;:'gauge 1 pins for engagement with gauge holesin the electrotype plates.

. ;A featureof the Q'nvention "resides in constructing each" guide with a' groove and in 'pro- .viding blocks slidably adjustable therein and-0n which gauge" pins are mounted 550 -ZAnother object of the invention resides in pro .:.viding" a wayonf 'said' bed slidable toward and Lirom :one of the guides andin mounting the other .guide:for sliding movement along said way. ,.,......OtherSiobjectslof the. invention reside; in the Lnovel combination andarrangement of parts and grouped upon a device having individual gauge Another. object ofthe invention resides in providinglocking. means for securing the slidable I ;-th'at the "corresponding -j plates of the several I gangs occupy; correspondingrelations" with: re-

possible similarly trimmed-with-respectto the gauge marks'thereon; with the view; ofassem- 1bling the plates of 'each-igang; in abutting relapractice, errors of rnore, or? less magnitude ioccur 1 5 19 1 errors t s mpo s lei ab a V cureperfectregister of prints 'from all-of the .5 5

in the details of construction hereinafter illus- 'trated and/or described. In the drawings: Y 7 V Figs. 1, 2, 3 and dare-perspective views-of ordinary engraved' plates from which electrotype plates used in color printing are: made, one of such plates being employedfor each -of the different colorsused.

Fig-5 is a'view o f the ultimateprint. r Fig. 6 is a perspective'view of an electrotype plate made from an engraved plate, -as shown in Fig. 1, and havinggaugeholes drilled therein; 4 Fig. 7 isa perspectiveview of a mounted gang, the several lelectrotype N plates 'co1nprisi ng said gang'being like that shown in Fig. 6. I

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on' line 8-8 of I 5... .'.;Q m. Fi -'1 is ap s v v vo na sembli device capable of use for carrying outmyimprovednrethod. e 20 Fig. ;10 is a fragmentary sectional view taken as on line |0-|0 of "Fig. ll-and drawn to a lar e a 7 Q.

Fig. 11 is an elevational sectional view talgen iason line ll- I l of Fig. 9 and drawn to a larger :25 scale.

QFig. i2 is a ls'pctivi'viw of 7 die for the auge b10ck .em 1OYQ Inmaking engravings to be; used in f orming ielec ot p o o laiesf he] ngr 99 ,marily; cuts' gauge' marks at top; and bottom-of "the engravings which marlgs s how on theelectrotype gplates and are -used in] stationingl the different color plates in a proof :pressto register.

the difierent printstaken therefrom. '3' .Upon being, satisfied with' the showing made by the, electrotype plates in the-,colorgproo'f press; the electrotyperzghas then' to *mount lik e plates in gangs, itjbeing his desire, of course,

spectfito theycompanion plates in their respecv tive gangs. 1 Ordinarily the dilrerent electrotype plates of the several gangs arefasaccurately-as tionon a mounting :1 block. In" following,- this and are sometimes greatly multiplied lggfp g the individuakm s o sea s ar ul i y: a. cured to their respective mounting blocks.

Due

' corresponding plates of the different gangs emguide I3. dovetailed slot 25 corresponding with the doveployed in a multi-color job. The employment of my invention in forming sets of clor gangs practically eliminates all chance of error and results in substantially accurate register,- regardless of the number of plates incorporated. in each gang.

The device shown in the drawings includes a bed if) supported on legs 12, the bed it being of any suitable length. Uponsaid bed IQ and at the forward edge thereof is mounted a front guide formed from end to end thereot with a d ovetailed groove i4 opening at the top of the bar. This guide may be integral with the bed H! or may be separately constructed and -rigidly secured thereto in a permanent manner.

Formed in the'bed Ill at'right angles to the guide i3 are parallel slots i5. A way, EBsIid- 10 and 11; to receive clamping bolts 2!)which extend through the slots E5 and serve tohold said Way in various adjusted positions with re spect'to-the guide I3;

The way 18 is constructed with a dovetailed tongue 22 extending along the upper side thereof, said tongue being adapted to be received in a dovetailed slot 23 formed in the underside of a guide 24 similar in form' to the Theguide 24 is also provided with a tailed slot- M of guide l3. The guide 24 may be locked againstmovement with respect to the way It? by a number of thumb screws 34 threaded into said guide from the back thereof. {These thumb screws 34 engage a gib 35'disposed within the slot 23 and extending along one edge of the tongue 22. As said screws 34 aretightwenedthe gib 35 is forced against the tongue 22 top thereof with a gauge pin 21 and is formed with a threaded bore'as at 29 to receive a set screw 33. The lower'end of this bore is reduced in diameter, as shown, providing an internal shoulder 60. A seating element 32, occupying the reduced portion ofthe bore 29, has a head 6| contained within the bore proper which cooperates with the shoulder 60 andkeeps the seating element 32 from becomingdisplaced from the block 23 at such time as said block may be removed from its guide.

The set screw 36 may be constructed with a square hole'tl at its upper end by means of which a suitable wrench. may be applied thereto to turn the same. When one of the gauge blocks 26 is mounted in either of thegrooves I4 or 25, said-block may be firmly locked in position by turning the screw 30 down 'against the seating element and 'thus forcing said element against the lower wall 33 of the guide. This urges the beveled walls 51 and 58 of the block into engagement with the adjacent abooyssf 93 which consists of. a bar of .metat of course, to complete the set.

.with said glass.

walls of the slots I4 25 and holds the block locked against movement.

For the purpose of illustrating the application of my invention, I have shown in Fig. an ultimate print to be printed and in Figs. 1 to 4 inelusive,- the various engraved plates from which electrotypes used in printing this figure would be made. The print illustrated is printed in four colors, blue red, gold. and black. and the engraved plates for these colors are designated by the reference characters 36, 3?, 38 and 39 inFigs. l to 4 respectively. A number of the electrotypes made from plate 36 are indicated at 33a, 36b and 360 in Fig. 7, a similar electrotype being indicated at 36a in Fig. 6. Corresponding electrotype plates made from the engraved plates SI, 33 and 39 would be required, On the body M of each of the various electrotypes is a raised portion 4!) corresponding with the raised portion 43a of the engraving. from which it. was made. The metal of the body 4|, except at the raised portion thereof is dead metal, its primary purpose being to provide means for attaching thexplate proper to the mounting therefor. In this dead metal, the gauge marks 42 and 43 (Fig. 6) appear in simulation of the corresponding gauge marks 42a and 43a (Fig. 1) formed in the original engraving;

In multi-cblor proof printing, it has been the practice to some extent to drill gauge holes in the electrotype plates, such holes having a definite relation with respect to the gauge marks thereof and to successively mount such plates on guide'pins in the bed of a proof press whereby registered printing of the various plates could be accurately carried out to form. the proof print. In the present invention, such gauge holes'may be utilized. In Fig. '6, I have shown a plate 36a in which has been drilled two gauge holes .44 and 45. In thus drilling a plate in the type of machine available for the purpose, the plate is mounted upon a supportand adjusted under a locating glass until one orthe other of the gauge marks 42 or 43, as the case may be, registers with a cross hair associated When the plate is properly located, a drill is brought into action, said drill being so mounted and operated as to drill the holes at predetermined locations with respect to the gauge mark of the plate upon which sight is taken. All the electrotype plates taken from the engravings 36, 31, 38 and 39 are drilled in the same manner .with. respect to each gauge mark, each plate then having gauge holes 44 and 45, the holes in each plate being located in identically the same relation with respect to their gauge marks 42 and 43. In addition to the gauge holes two holes' 50 are drilled in the dead metal of the plates for a purpose soon to be explained. i

. In the mounting of the plates upon the assembling' device the following procedure is employed: The thumb screws 34 and thebolts 20 arefirst loosened so that the guide 24 may be moved in two directions upon the bed ID. A block 26 is next inserted in the slot l4 of guide 13 at approximately thedesired locality; This block is then looked in place through its set screw 38. In asimilar manner another block is mounted in approximately the. proper location in the guide 24 and locked in place. One of the plates for example 36a, is. then placed upon the assembling device and the register holes 44 and 45 thereof caused toreceive the gauge pins of upon the device.

hetwo. bloc s. q nt d nthe guides 3. and 2 rnepaa 1 a,, is their sq ared p th res ec o. th uide t, e g ide 2 hein'sgm ve lengthwise onethe way'lll and said'way being moved; transversely on the 1 bed In} as. may {lbefl required in accomplishing the purpose. when the guide 24; is properly located all/oi the screws 31' "and; the bolts" aretighte ed to holdthe parts "24 and I8 rigidly position s desired,

to the guides l3; and H, j the distances between gauge pins 2], in the blocksii in eachguidebeing made suflicientl to accommodate the j width, of the plates and fbeing calipered for accuracy.

Thus, 'all of the blocks28ior all of the electro-f e order and with the movable partslocked'in positypes to be, incorporated in agang are assem';

bled and held in selected, relation withrespect l e v v repeated" operations entailed in completing, the 25,,

angs oi a 's'et'. The inventionjjadmits. of the se to each other,

With thebIdcks-IZG' inplace in the guide l3" 115; e; m n n plates going to make. up

thegangare applied, one to eachppair ofgaug'e pinsgand pressed down'to rest upon' the upperedges of 'saidguides I3and 24,. InFigfQ, the

plates 36a, 36b and 360, made as from the'en- ,graving- 36; have been illustrated as mounted A filler block 48' of wood is' then inserted betweenjthe two guides, l3fand- 35 24' and beneaththe various plates 36a, 36b and 360, Upon this block is placed a metal backing 49"which snugly underlies said plates, Solder is. then flowed into the holes 50 forming solder keys 5i securing the plates to the backing 4 9, The structure thus formedv is removed enbloc from the gauge'pinsjZJ without disturb-f ing theposition of the-blocks 26, theplatesand backingjbeing then 'trimmedj down. tothe pro er:

dimensions, the end portionsof said plates con taining the gauge marksand gauge holes being cut away to completefthe construction of the gang;

The several plates for another color gang are placed upon the assembling device, the same being readily applied to the gauge pins 21 without disturbing the position of the blocks '26. These plates are then secured to a backing therefor and then removed from the assembling I device and trimmed as in the case of the gang first described. The same operation is repeated for the several plates of each of the remaining a color gangs, each gang being built up without changing the position of the pins 21. After all a of the gangs have been completed it will be they would be attached to a suitable wood block. And, too, original hand engraved plates, zinc T etchings, copper etchings, photo engravings and stereotypes may be assembled in gangs in accordbed providing a fixed groove,means, on said bed present invention, to be used for a ance the. p in ing. or

duplicat inv. tlonithee. various; e ectrbtypes 7 ofi a san f'inay' bemounted; accurately; in, pre;

.determinedrelation with respecttofone another;

The cerrespondingfplates of the differ'entf gangs have. exactl h saz'n rela ion.v with resp ct to the other platesof respective gan s so that absolute. register' sgproc'ured'." Even though an J. irregularity occurs, for example, as in l] the lamp n 0.1; the blocks; w in ides 3,124, the ame ir e ula y ccurr in ea sans will, notafiect register in printing. 'lhegangs?v can. be assembled quickly and easily'fand'; the f plate ounted up h ir espe t ve ackin s withoutdis'turbing the plates in "their acquired relation andj without disturbing the" positionsof he p sz -t The mbl n d icsi j x r m i simple inconstruction and 'isfnot onlyeasy-gto;

usefwh'en onceadjusted; but also 'readilyadjust; V 2 0 able to accommodate various sizes of plates, I

T e e is it i in e de i at e tion, they remain immovable 'tl roughoutthe of; the, conventional plate" drilling machines.

Asmany plates asdesired can be assooiated'ina single gang without'accumulative error, and'the relation between plates of each gangpf: a et;

will be identical each-instance.

.' Changes inthe specificform-0i,invntioh;

as herein disclosed, 'inay be made-withirrthe scope of=what is claimed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, whatfI'lclaim as new; and desire, to protect by Letters Patent' color printin'g from plates having gauge holes therein said device comprising a bed havingsup rts being spaced apart to receive theretween 86L161 plates and the bed.

- 15 A devicefor forming plate g'angs for'mult-i- 2. A device for forming plate gangs for multicolor printing from plates having gauge holes therein, saiddevice comprising a bed, a guide on said bed, another guide on' said bed spaced from said first guide, means for guiding one of said guides for movement toward and from the other guide, supports movable along said guides and gauge pins on said supports for cooperation with the'gauge holesin plates of a gang.

3. A device for forming plate gangs for multicolor printing comprising a bed, a guide on said' bed, a way, a second guide slidable'along said way, means for guiding said way and'second guide for movement toward and from said first guide, supports movable along said guides and gauge pins carried by said supports.

4. A device for forming plate gangs for multif color printing comprisinga bed, a guide on said bed, a way parallel with said guide, means'for guiding said way for movement in adirection at ports. I

5. A device for forming plate gangs for multicolor printing comprising a bed-means on said i said guidesand gauge pins carried by said supproviding a second groove parallel with said first groove, blocks slidable' along said grooves, i

gauge pins carried bysaid blocks, and means for locking said blocks from movement with re v spect to said grooves,

6. A device for forming plate gangs for multi color printing comprising abed, means on said bed having dovetailed grooves therein, a number of dovetailed blocks slidable along said grooves, gauge pins carried by said blocks, and locking devices carried by said blocks foru'rging the same into engagement with the walls of said grooves.

7. A device for forming plate gangs for multi- -colorprinting comprising'a bed, means on said bed having dovetailed grooves therein, a number of dovetailed blocks slidable along'said grooves, gauge pins carried by said blocks, each block having a set screw threaded thereinto for exerting pressure against a wall of its respective groove; n

8. A device for forming plate gangs formulticolor printing I comprising a bed, a guide on said bed having a dovetailed groove therein,'

said bed having slots along thelsame extending at right angles to said guide, a way parallel with saidguide and slidable along said slots in a direction toward and from the guide, a second guide slidable along said way and having a comprising a bed having supports thereon, one. of said supports being movable relative to the other to vary the distance therebetween, and gauge'means on one of the supports formed for cooperation with the gauge means on the plates to locate said plates in definite predeterminedv relation.

10. A device for formingsets of plate gangs for multi-color printing from plates having gauge means thereon, said device comprising a,

mounting and gauge means supported thereby,

said gauge means being formed for cooperation with the gauge means of all ofthe plates of a gang, whereby the plates of the several gangs 'ina. set maybe located in the same definite relationship in each gang, said gauge'means being supportedon said mounting'for adjust. ment to accord with-the varying dimensional requirements of plate, gangs of different sets.

11. A device for forming plate gangs for multicolor printing from plates having gauge holes therein, said device comprising a pair of supports, one thereof being movable for relatively disposing said supports initially to similarly accommodate the plates of each gang of a set, and

gauge pins on. said supports for engagement with the gauge holes in the plates of a gang; 7

12. A device for forming plate gangs for multicolor printing from plates having gauge holes therein, said devicecomprising a bed, a guide on said bed, a number of supports individually movable along said guide, means for locking the 1 individual supports with respect to said guide,' each support having a gauge pin thereon for engagement with the gauge holes in the corresponding plates of the various gangs of a set.

13. A device for forming plate gangs for multicolor printing from plates having gauge holes at the ends thereof, said device comprising a bed, gauge pins, means for supporting the gauge pins in spaced rows above said bed and in position for cooperation with the gauge holes in plates of a gang, and means for supporting the plates of a gang in their cooperative relationwith said pins at a fixed elevation above said bed,

. 14. A device for forming plate gangs for multicolor printing from plates having gaugemeans thereon, saiddevi'ce comprising a pair of spaced supports for the plates of a gang, and gauge means on one of said supports adapted to coplates. in the diilerent gangs.

BERNARD F. HECK.

46' operate with the gauge meanson the plates of the various o gan'gs and thereby provide, for a: definite. predetermined relationship between 

